Ultrastretchable Liquid Metal Electrical Conductors Built-in Cloth Fiber Networks for Wearable Electronics.

Flexible, stretchable, and wearable electrically conductive elements were prepared by coating partially oxidized liquid metals (POLMs) on cloth material, i.e., nylon lycra fabric (NLF, see details in the Supporting Information), which were achieved by filling POLMs in fiber networks. The products show good and stable electrically conductive properties upon strong twisting and stretching. A wearable electrical heating function is then demonstrated as a direct application. The infrared thermal images of the POLM conducting wires indicate that the distribution of POLMs in NLF is uniform. Time-dependent heating temperature versus different stretching demonstrates that the POLMs/NLF heating element is highly reliable and endurable. Moreover, the electrical resistance remains unchanged after 1000 cycles of bending and twisting. These characterization methods prove that POLMs can be applied to clothes and enable ultrathin, comfortable electronic applications.